Statement for the Press – September 3, 2014
The Albanian Helsinki Committee applauds and supports the joint Declaration of the Summit of the Western Balkan Countries, the European Union, Germany, etc., that was held in Berlin on August 28, 2014.
We especially applaud the German Government and Chancellor Angela Merkel, not only as the initiator of the organization of this Summit, but also for the unreserved will and engagement to help the countries of the region toward real progress of the reforms it is undertaking to resolve bilateral or domestic issues, as well as for the integration of the Western Balkan countries in the European Union.
AHC also praises the part of the Declaration whereby the participating parties in the Summit emphasize the need for expanding regional cooperation to the civil society level, especially toward expanding cross-national exchanges, especially among youth.
As a non-profit organization and active part of civil society, AHC expresses its readiness and at the same time calls upon all actors of this sector to make their contribution to realizing the objectives outlined in the Declaration of the Summit, which are very important toward realizing our common aspiration of integration into the European Union.
In this context, AHC engages to be part of initiatives and programs in the country and the region toward strengthening good governance and increasing trust in justice bodies, for the protection of citizens’ rights and freedoms, and for fighting organized crime and corruption.
